Xkilling  barge



Jan. 21, 1964 M. E. TRUE ETAL 3,118,283

DRILLING BARGE:

Filed Aug. 7, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2. FIG. l. 20 i I4 l(.0 :i""Wnlilruw liz ii Y; I4

FIG. s.

- INVENTORS. Marhn E. True,

George Boer,

Y '+Mw 27PM A T TORNE Y Jan. 21, 1964 M. E. TRUE ETAL 3,118,283

DRILLING BARGE Filed Aug. 7, 1957 5 sheets-sheet 2 8 FIG. e.

V INVENTORS. Murhn E.True,

58 B George Boer,

FIG. lo. Yhwggq-q( ATTORNEY.

Jan. 21, 1964 M. E. TRUE ETAL 3,118,283

DRILLING BARGE Filed Aug. '7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. II.

FIG. I3.

INVENT l Mcl E. Tru Ge Boer,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent naar .iii

3,118,283 DRLLING BARGE Martin E. 'lrue and George Boer, Houston, Tex.,as-

signors, by mesne assignments, to .lersey Production Research Company,Tulsa, lila., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 7, 1957, Ser. No.676,844 l Claim. (Cl. 61-455) rlhis invention relates to portabledrilling barges such as those used in conducting offshore operations.More particularly, this invention relates to an offshore structure whichutilizes natural forces for raising the platform above sea level.

ln conducting offshore operations, such as drilling operations, theusual procedure is to utilize a oating platform supported by columns andbuoyant members for floating the platform to desired locations. Thebuoyant members serve as lloats while the platform is towed to thedesired location. The buoyant members are then flooded. They settle tothe bottom arid then serve as anchors for the platform. The platform isthen raised above sea level by means for various man-made equipment suchas a winch and pulley system and locked in the raised position byVarious locking means. The equipment used to raise the platform isnecessarily very large and heavy. This requires additional weight to beplaced on the platform and hence decreases the platform stability.

Also, the additional cost of the heavy equipment utilized to raise theplatform is high.

It would be highly desirable, therefore, to have an or shore structurewhich utilizes natural forces to raise the platform, thus obviating theneed for the heavy mechanical and electrical equipment currentlyutilized.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel offshore structurewhich utilizes a unique assembly including buoyant members for raisingthe platform above sea level.

Briefly described, this invention includes a floating worldng platform.Means are provided for supporting the working platform. rlhe supportingmeans may consist of support columns which extend through wells oropenings pierced through the platform. Buoyant means are provided forraising the platform a desired distance above the water level.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. l is a schematic view showing our new offshore structure with theelements in position to permit the towing of the structure from onelocation to another;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FG. l;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the elements in an alternativerelative position for transporting the platform from one position toanother' FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are schematic views illustrating thesequence of operations used in anchoring the floating platform at thedesired location and then raising the platform a desired height abovesea level by use of natural forces;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the relative position of the elementswhen the platform is raised to a height above sea level different fromthat shown in FlGS. 4 through 7, inclusive;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating one type of locking mechanismfor locking the elevating member to the oating platform;

FIG. lt) is a sectional view taken along lines lll-l0 of FIG. 9;

FIG. ll is a sectional view illustrating one type of locking mechanismfor locking the support columns to the elevating members;

FIG. l2 is a sectional View taken along lines 12-12 of FIG. l1;

FIG. 13 is a schematic View of a buoyant member resting on the foot of asupport column and illustrates one means for locking the buoyant membersto the foot of the support columns; and

FIG. 14 is a sectional view illustrating a second type of buoyantmember.

Referring to FIG. l, numeral lll designates a floating working platform.The heavy equipment (not shown) used in offshore operations rests uponthe platform and is supported thereby. For example, if drillingoperations are to be performed, a drilling rig and associated equipmentwill be placed upon platform lt). Floating platform lll is pierced witha plurality of wells or openings.

Positioned within each of the openings is an elongated elevating memberl2. Elevating members l2 may be cylindrical in form or any other desiredshape. Each elevating member l2 has a bore through the axis thereof andalong its entire length. The bores in each elevating member l2 receive asupport column ld.

Elevating members l2 are slidable and may be moved upwardly ordownwardly so that the portion of an elevating member l2 containedwithin its respective opening in platform lil may be changed. Eachsupport column 14 is also slidable with respect to its elevating member12 so that the support columns may be moved upwardly, permitting theplatform to be towed from one location to another, and then moveddownwardly when the platform is at a desired location to provide supportfor the platform against overturning due to winds, waves, and any otherextraneous forces.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that each elevating member l2 ismovable with respect to platform l0 and each support column 14 ismovable with respect to an elevating member l2. Any of the various typesof locking means may be provided to lock the elevating members l2 toplatform l@ in any desired position. Also, any of various conventionallocking means may be provided for locking the support columns 14 totheir respective elevating members l2.

rfhree or more support columns le may be utilized. The schematicrepresentations shown in the figures show a platform which uses 4columns, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

Each support column i4 has at its lower extremity a foot member 5.6having a pointed portion i8. A buoyant ember 29 is slidably arrangedabout each support column i4. The buoyant member Ztl is located betweenthe elevating member l2 and the foot portion lo. The buoyant members arein dimensions large enough to provide suicient buoyancy to raise thecombined weight of the elevating members and the working platform.Conventional means well known in the art may be used to flood or removewater from the substantially hollow members Ztl, thereby varying thebuoyancy of said members.

When the offshore structure is being moved from one location to another,it is highly desirable that the platform be just above the water level.If the structure is transported with the platforn high above the waterlevel, the structure is very unstable and there is danger ofoverturning. Our new structure is towed from one location to anotherwith the relative positions of the platform lil, elevating members 1.2,support columns 14, and buoyant members Ztl, as shown in FIG. l.Alternatively', the relative positions of these members may be as shownin FIG. 3 or any other position in which the foot members 16 are raisedabove the mud line. Notice that in FIG. l and FIG. 3 the supportplatform lll is maintained on the water line (FIG. 3) or just above theWater line (FIG. 1).

The sequence of operations for securing theV offshore structure at thedesired location is illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 7, inclusive.Referring to FIG. 4, the support columns i4 are released from theirlocked positions to their respective elevating members 12. Supportcolumns 14 may be allowed to drop to the mud line, or in thealternative, a controlled dropping may be obtained by controlling thebuoyancy of buoyant members 2t). The foot portions of columns 14 areshaped so that they bury themselves into the mud line. A deeperpenetration of foot members 15 into the mud line is accomplished afterthe columns have been dropped by increasing the ballast within buoyantmembers 2Q, thus increasing the weight upon the foot member 16. This isaccomplished by conventional methods well known in the art. The olfshorestructure is then secured firmly to the sea bottom and danger ofoverturning is minimized.

After the columns 14 have been secured in the mud line, the nextoperative step is as illustrated in FIG. 5. The ballast in buoyantmembers 26 is reduced, thus increasing their buoyancy. This reducing ofballast may be done, for example, by removing water by conventionalmeans from the interior of the buoyant members. The increased buoyancyof buoyant members causes them to slide upwardly along the supportcolumns ld and against the lower portion of the elevating members 12.The locking means connecting elevating members 12 to platform lo is thenunlocked. Further increasing of the buoyancy of buoyant members 2@ Willthen raise the elevating members 12 to any desired position with respectto the platform 1li. In FIG. 5, the buoyancy of the buoyant members hasbeen controlled to place the upper portion of elevating members 12 inalignment with the upper portion of platform lil. When the elevatingmembers 12 are placed in their desired position, they are again lockedto the platform 1G.

The next procedural step is as illustrated in FIG. 6. The buoyancy ofthe buoyant members 2o is increased to a point sufficient to raise thecombined weight of the platform 10 and the elevating members l2. seen,therefore, that our arrangement of offshore structure utilizes thenatural forces of buoyancy to raise the platform above sea level. Thisuse of natural buoyancy eliminates the need for the currently used heavymechanical man-made equipment, such as the heavy mechanical jacks,Winches, and hoists. The elimination of this heavy equipment for raisingthe platform above sea level decreases the required weight upon theplatform 16. Also, of course, the cost of the necessary equipment foroffshore operations is decreased greatly.

The next procedural step is as illustrated in FIG. 7. After the platform1i? has been raised above sea level, the buoyant members 29 are thenflooded with water to decrease their buoyancy and increase their Weight.The buoyant members then slide along support columns 14 and upon footmembers 16. Locking means may be provided for securing buoyant members2t) upon the foot members lo. This added weight upon foot members 1otends to push the foot members further into the mud line. Also, bypositioning the buoyant members 20 upon the sea bottom, the Wind andwave effects Vupon the members 2i) is minimized, and thereby increasesthe stability of the offshore structure. To further increase thestability, spuds 22 are driven through bores in columns le and into themud line.

It can be' The height of platform Ertl above the sea level is determinedand controlled by the portion of elevating members l2 encompassed by theopenings within platform lo. The platform is raised to its hiehestheight when the upper extremity of elevating members 12 are flush withthe top of platform 1li. A minimum height above sea level is obtainedwhen the elevating members 12 are locked to platform lil with the lowerextremity of elevating members 12 ilush with the lower portion ofplatform 1G. Intermediate heights are accomplished by locking elevatingmembers l2 to platform 1? with intermediate portions of the elevatingmembers encompassed by the platform openings, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIGS. 9 and l0 illustrate one type of locking means for lockingelevating members 12 in a desired position with respect to platform lo.Circular grooves 36 are formed along the elevating members 12. Thesegrooves are adapted to receive a hydraulically-operated member 32 whichis connected to a piston 34 through a piston rod 36. The piston 34 isreciprocated within a chamber 38. Hydraulic pressure applied against thepiston 34 through passageway di? causes the member 32 to be moved into agroove 3i?, thus locking elevating member l2 to platform l0. Hydraulicpressure applied through passageway 42 and against the piston 34 movesthe members 32 out of the groove Si?, permitting the elevating member l2to be slidably moved within the opening in platform 19.

FIGS. ll and l2 illustrate one locking means for loci@ ing the supportcolumns 14 to the elevating members 12. Racks 5%, having a plurality ofteeth 52, are formed on the outside of the columns 14. Correspondinglytoothed members 54 are connected through piston rods 55 to pistons 58 incylinders 59 which are hydraulically operated. The application ofhydraulic pressure through passage4 ways et? move the pistons 53 withincylinders 59 so that the toothed members 54 engage their respectiveracks 5t?. Application of hydraulic pressure through passageways 62 movethe toothed members 54 away from racks 50, thus unlocking elevatingmembers 12 from support columns 1d.

Buoyant member 2t) may be locked to foot member it? by means of asolenoidjtl which operates an armature 72 connected to a pivotable latch74 (see FIG. 13). Pivotable latch 74 engages a circular ring locatedwithin a circular groove formed within the foot member i6 and securelyholds buoyant member 2@ against the foot member 16. A flexible cable 7?containing the necessary conductive wires extends from the buoyantmember Ztl up to the platform l@ which contains the required electricalequipment. If desired, a pneumatic or hyd'raulically-operv ated pistonmay be used in place of the solenoid 76, and a flexible hydraulic hosein place of the flexible cable 73.

An alternative type or buoyant member for use in place of the rigidbuoyant members 2li may be the donut-*shaped inflatable bladder Si?,such as shown in FIG. ifi: Tile use of a bladder Si? as a buoyant memberhas the adifi taUe that when it is not in use to raise the platformabove sea level, it may be deated. ln the deflated state, the' bladderSi? taires up much less room and is less cumber some than a rigidbuoyant member. Bladder Si) is slid-` ably arranged about support column14. The buoyancy of the bladder is controlled by air introduced orremoved from within the bladder by means of an air line 82 connected tothe bladder Si?. The inflow and outflow of air from bladder gli iscontrolled by means of air compressors contained on the platform.

It is to be understood that various other modifications of our inventionmay be made without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

Irl a iloating barge for underwater operations: a floating Workingplatform having a plurality of openings therethrough; an elongatedcylindrical platform elevating member slidably extending through eachopening in the lloating barge and having a bore through its axis', anYelongated amargas cylindrical leg slidably extending through the boreand having a foot member at its lower extremity; a buoyant memberslidably arranged about each leg below the platform elevating member andabove said foot member, said buoyant member being large enough toprovide suiiicient buoyancy to raise the combined weight of theelevating member and working platform; means for locking each leg to itsrespective elevating member; means for locking each elevating member tothe working platform, and means for varying the buoyancy of the buoyantmembers whereby the floating working platform may be towed to a desiredposition above the mud line, the legs lowered to penetrate the mud line,the buoyancy of the buoyant members increased to cause them to contacttheir respective elevating members and move the elevating members 15 6to a desired position with respect to the platform, the platform lockedto the elevating members, and the buoyancy of the buoyant membersdecreased so that the buoyant members seat on the foot members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS104,843 Ferris June 28, 1870 112,525 Albertson Mar. 14, 1871 2,248,051Armstrong July 8, 1941 2,771,747 Rechtin Nov. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS3,927 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1868

